A Soulmate's Love

Chapter 46 - An explanation

*So, this chapter doesn't contain anything dramatic, but its title is pretty much self-explanatory! It's still important as it explains a lot of stuff that will be a part of the plot later on in the story. Love you all!

George's Perspective - The Next Morning

Althea had told me that she had 'lived' in her time before Hogwarts. I remember her warning me one night soon after we had both admitted we were soulmates that there were some things that she had done that didn't reflect on who she was now and despite my asking what she had meant, she wouldn't tell me. 

But I would've never guessed - Underground tattoo from a Russian man that she doesn't even remember the name of? Performing in front of thousands at this festival? A fucking gang branding? 

I think the gang initiation was what really made me question what the fuck had she done as everyone knew that gangs were bad news, especially being in one. Maybe she didn't actually mean gang, maybe she was just too drunk to understand what she was saying? But how would she even get in it? 

"Do you guys think she actually meant it?" I asked Fred and Lee at lunch as I waited for her to come down after waking up.

They shared a side glance and shrugged their shoulders, "I mean, it's pretty cool." Fred commented, having been excited about having a connection to a gang which I didn't doubt he would. 

"Mate, you have to admit it, it's bloody impressive." Lee continued as he and Fred mirrored sneaky grins.

"Yeah, but she can't possibly-" I began when their eyes traveled to the direction of the Entrance Hall doors, and as I looked to my right I saw her, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and walking very slowly towards us, making me chuckle at the hungover routine she gave us after a night of drinking. 

"HEY HEY HEY! It's our little GANGSTA!" Fred shouted, making heads turn at the odd greeting. 

Althea, however, stopped dead in her tracks. She pulled down the shades so they were resting on the bottom of her nose, making her brown eyes partly visible to us. "What?" She croaked, her morning voice temporarily distracting me - Even hungover she managed to look hot. 

"Just a fun nickname," Lee said nonchalantly which made her tenseness wear off as she flopped down into the spot between Fred and me and began pouring herself some coffee. She stayed quiet as her movements were slow, evidently tired from all the dancing, games, and drinking she had done the night before. 

"-And the fact that you're actually in a gang." Fred dropped in as if it was nothing, making her choke on her drink and nearly spit it out, only proving his point.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She managed to say after swallowing and clearing her throat, pushing her shades back up to cover her eyes. I inwardly chuckled at the action - Elise called those her mistake mask as Althea wore them after every hangover. 

"Say, Raven, what do you think of scorpions?" Fred pushed further, making the entire group snicker as they withheld their laughter. 

"Hmm?" She questioned innocently, and I knew that those glasses of hers were the only thing keeping us from seeing her faulty eyes. "Scorpions... predatory arachnids sure, but they don't ring a bell..." Elise was now looking behind her with a delicate hand placed over her grin, Roya and Angelina trying to look uninterested to mask their amusement, and Lee rubbing his palm over his mouth, caressing his chin in a scholarly manner. Fred however was keeping a straight face as he terrorized her, though a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. I stayed silent, wanting to see how she would manage his tantalizing teasing. I had to say, had she not admitted to it all last night I might've believed her; she wasn't a bad liar.